Learning More about Diabetic Eye Disease in Boca Raton

A vision condition that needs to be seriously addressed is diabetic retinopathy. Fortunately, you can undergo a painless evaluation so the disease can be diagnosed early. The test used for this purpose is an OCT. OCT is short for optical coherence tomography.

How an OCT Is Performed

When using an OCT to check for diabetic eye disease in Boca Raton, the ophthalmologist places eye drops in your eyes. The drops widen the pupil so the doctor can more easily examine the retina. While you sit in front of the OCT equipment, you will also place your head on a support so the scan can be done while you are motionless. The scan takes about five minutes. If the eyes are dilated, you may experience some sensitivity to light several hours after the test.

If it is determined that you have diabetic eye disease or diabetic retinopathy, your optical provider will develop a plan to prevent damage to your eyesight. If you have diabetes and have not had an OCT yet, it can be quite beneficial. The exam does not take much time and can help you catch a potentially serious vision problem in its early stages.

Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic eye disease, or diabetic retinopathy, is classified as a proliferative or nonproliferative condition. The nonproliferative disease is defined by tiny blood vessels that are damaged. These small blood vessels leak blood, causing the macula to swell, which impairs the sight.

Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is an advanced form of the condition. It is defined by the growth of fragile and abnormal blood vessels in the vitreous and along the retina. If the condition is not treated, the new vessels will bleed and cause scarring. This scarring can eventually lead to blindness.

Where to Obtain Further Details Online

The early form diabetic retinopathy is not associated with any pain or symptoms. That is why you need to schedule a test. About 50% of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics are found to have some form of retinal disease. You can learn more about the test and treatment process when you visit the website retinaleyecare.com online today.